Trans-o-flex Express

Trans-o-flex Express is a German logistics group headquartered in Weinheim, Baden-Württemberg, specialising in the transport of packages and pallets for business-to-business customers. The company focuses on temperature-controlled logistics for the pharmaceutical, cosmetics and consumer electronics industries, as well as other high-value, sensitive goods. Its name derives from the German phrase "Transportorganisation von besonderer Flexibilität" (transport organisation of particular flexibility). The company was founded on 30 October 1971 as an association of five regional delivery services from Cologne, Weinheim, Hamburg, Hanover and Munich, making it the first nationwide express delivery service in Germany. Over the decades it has changed ownership several times, passing through the hands of Franz Haniel & Cie., the Schoeller/Amberger investor group, Deutsche Post, Österreichische Post and finally becoming part of the international GEODIS group. Today trans-o-flex operates its own transport networks in Germany and Austria, offering actively temperature-controlled transports at 15–25 °C and 2–8 °C in compliance with EU Good Distribution Practice (GDP) guidelines for pharmaceutical transport. Internationally, it works through the EUROTEMP (temperature-controlled logistics) and EURODIS (38 European countries) networks. Unlike conventional parcel services and groupage freight forwarders, trans-o-flex consolidates packages and pallets for delivery. Its service portfolio includes numerous express and time-window deliveries, special services such as dangerous goods transport, shipment consolidation and direct runs, as well as warehousing, picking and individual value-added services such as serialisation and de-serialisation of medicines. The company thus covers the entire logistics chain from procurement to fulfilment. Its digital tools include mytof.de for shipment tracking and communication with customer service, and trans-o-flex insight, a recipient app for delivery notifications and temperature monitoring.

The origins of trans-o-flex lie in the pharmaceutical wholesale trade. Madaus, a manufacturer of natural medicines, sought a solution for the direct distribution of its products to pharmacies and hospitals and developed a concept together with a freight forwarder in the 1960s. After a successful test phase, regional delivery services were established with regional freight forwarders from Cologne, Weinheim, Hamburg, Hanover and Munich. The five partners founded an association under a common umbrella brand, and on 30 October 1971 "trans-o-flex" was created. From this association of five regional delivery services emerged the first nationwide express delivery service in Germany. In 1982, cooperation with international express services across Western Europe ("euro express") enabled transports abroad for the first time. In 1993, the cooperation with the euro express association ended and trans-o-flex built its own European distribution network, Eurodis. Today Eurodis GmbH is an independent company in which trans-o-flex Express holds a stake. Its members include, alongside trans-o-flex (Germany), companies such as Redur (Spain/Portugal), SDA (Italy), Österreichische Post (Austria), PostNL (Netherlands) and Bonafide (Switzerland). In 2022, EURODIS members employed 50,000 people, operated 23,000 vehicles, transported around 982 million shipments and generated sales of 5.5 billion euros. In 1988, alongside transport services, warehousing, picking and individual value-added services were offered for the first time. These services are now handled by the subsidiary trans-o-flex Logistik-Service, which operates a total of five warehouses. In 1985, trans-o-flex was acquired by Franz Haniel & Cie. The previously decentralised structure was reorganised and a nationwide central office was established. At the end of 1995, the Schoeller/Amberger investor group took over the trans-o-flex group from Haniel. Shortly afterwards, trans-o-flex acquired its former competitor Lo-Go Lieferservice GmbH & Co. KG. At the end of 1997, Schoeller/Amberger sold trans-o-flex to Deutsche Post and a Swiss company. The complete takeover of trans-o-flex by Deutsche Post (which had held a 24.8% stake since the end of 1997) failed in 1999 due to competition-law objections from the European Commission after Deutsche Post sought to increase its share to over 75%. In April 2000, Deutsche Post was able to fully acquire trans-o-flex's six foreign subsidiaries in Austria, Hungary, the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy and Denmark. A second takeover attempt of trans-o-flex Deutschland in cooperation with BayernFinanz (investor since 2000, 75.2% stake in the first quarter of 2005) was prohibited by the German Federal Cartel Office. After this decision was confirmed by the Federal Court of Justice at the end of 2004, Deutsche Post and Bayerische Landesbank sold their holdings in March 2005 to the Berlin financial investor Odewald & Compagnie and Alpha Beteiligungsberatung. In August 2005, trans-o-flex acquired the Kerpen-based TT Tour-Trans group (special logistics for the cosmetics and household and consumer electronics industries), and in October 2006 the refrigerated transport specialist VfW ThermoMed (temperature-controlled transports at 2–8 °C). In 2019, trans-o-flex subsidiary ThermoMed acquired Rhenus Life Sciences from the Rhenus group, expanding the existing transport offering for refrigerated medicines (2–8 °C) to include actively temperature-controlled pharmaceutical transports at 15–25 °C. In October 2007, trans-o-flex acquired the companies Van Osselaer Pieters Colli Service (VOP) in Belgium and Dedicated Distribution Services (DDS) in the Netherlands. Both companies were sold to the Dutch PostNL in 2013. At the end of 2006, 74.9% of trans-o-flex shares were sold to Österreichische Post. With effect from 30 June 2008, it acquired the remaining 25.1%. In March 2016, Österreichische Post sold its entire stake (100%) to M+P GmbH (47.5%), LFH3 Verwaltungs GmbH (47.5%) and ALJ 2 Vermögensverwaltungsgesellschaft mbH (5.0%). Behind these companies are the Amberger and Schoeller families, who had already been shareholders of trans-o-flex in the past (end of 1995 to end of 1997). After the amendment of the EU Good Distribution Practice (GDP) directive relevant to pharmaceutical logistics was passed in March 2013, trans-o-flex Express began in October 2013 to convert its network to actively temperature-controlled transports in the range between 15 and 25 °C. The expansion of capacity within the trans-o-flex group took place in several stages. Initially, active temperature control in both the 2–8 °C and 15–25 °C ranges remained with the specialised subsidiary trans-o-flex ThermoMed, while in parallel the necessary technical and structural prerequisites for the transport and handling of medicines at 15–25 °C were created in the trans-o-flex Express network. After a test operation with a pilot customer, trans-o-flex Express began in October 2013 to offer actively temperature-controlled transports at 15–25 °C. Today, trans-o-flex is part of the international GEODIS group and specialises in logistics solutions for industries such as pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, consumer electronics and other high-value, sensitive goods. As a GEODIS subsidiary, trans-o-flex benefits from a global logistics network and combines it with its own expertise in temperature-controlled transport. In Germany and Austria, trans-o-flex operates its own transport networks that enable actively temperature-controlled transports in the range of 15–25 °C and 2–8 °C in accordance with EU GDP guidelines for pharmaceutical transport. Internationally, trans-o-flex works through the EUROTEMP (temperature-controlled logistics) and EURODIS (38 European countries) networks.

• 2019

  ThermoMed subsidiary acquired Rhenus Life Sciences, expanding temperature-controlled pharmaceutical transport to 15–25 °C.

• 2016

  Österreichische Post sold its entire 100% stake to M+P GmbH, LFH3 Verwaltungs GmbH and ALJ 2 Vermögensverwaltungsgesellschaft mbH in March.

• 2013

  Began converting its network to actively temperature-controlled transports at 15–25 °C in October, following the EU GDP directive amendment in March; sold VOP and DDS to PostNL.

• 2008

  Österreichische Post acquired the remaining 25.1% of shares effective 30 June.

• 2007

  Acquired Van Osselaer Pieters Colli Service (VOP) in Belgium and Dedicated Distribution Services (DDS) in the Netherlands in October.

• 2006

  Acquired refrigerated transport specialist VfW ThermoMed in October; 74.9% of shares sold to Österreichische Post at year-end.

• 2005

  Deutsche Post and Bayerische Landesbank sold their holdings to Odewald & Compagnie and Alpha Beteiligungsberatung in March; trans-o-flex acquired TT Tour-Trans group in August.

• 2000

  Deutsche Post fully acquired trans-o-flex's six foreign subsidiaries in April.

• 1999

  Deutsche Post's full takeover attempt failed due to European Commission competition objections.

• 1997

  Schoeller/Amberger sold trans-o-flex to Deutsche Post and a Swiss company at the end of the year.

• 1995

  Schoeller/Amberger investor group took over the trans-o-flex group from Haniel at the end of the year.

• 1993

  Ended cooperation with euro express and built its own European distribution network, Eurodis.

• 1988

  First offering of warehousing, picking and individual value-added services alongside transport.

• 1985

  Acquired by Franz Haniel & Cie.; decentralised structure reorganised with a nationwide central office.

• 1982

  First international transports through cooperation with the euro express network in Western Europe.

• 1971

  Founded on 30 October as an association of five regional delivery services, creating Germany's first nationwide express delivery service.

Specialist in pharmaceutical logistics and high-value, sensitive goods for B2B customers, combining its own temperature-controlled networks in Germany and Austria with the global GEODIS network.

• National Express

  Ten different express services with a standard transit time of less than 24 hours for time-critical shipments within Germany.

• International Express

  International express services via the EURODIS network covering 36 European countries, including all formalities.

• Ambient Express (15–25 °C)

  Actively temperature-controlled transport for pharmaceuticals in the 15–25 °C range, compliant with EU GDP guidelines.

• Thermo Express (2–8 °C)

  Actively temperature-controlled transport for refrigerated medicines in the 2–8 °C range.

• Dangerous Goods Transport

  Special service for dangerous goods transport (without small-quantity regulation).

• Warehousing and Picking

  Warehousing, picking and individual value-added services such as serialisation and de-serialisation of medicines, operated by trans-o-flex Logistik-Service with five warehouses.

• mytof.de

  Interactive web-based tool for shipment tracking and communication with trans-o-flex customer service, featuring traffic-light overview, detailed search, filters, scan and status display, Excel export, and temperature data.

• trans-o-flex insight

  Recipient app for smartphone, tablet and desktop providing shipment notifications, delivery details, temperature curves for Ambient Express and Thermo Express, delivery location agreements, 14-day history and Ident service.

1. 1Transport und Logistik für Pakete und Paletten im Bereich B2Btrans-o-flex.com
2. 2mytof.detrans-o-flex.com
3. 3Empfänger-Apptrans-o-flex.com
4. 4Wir sind Ihr zuverlässiger Logistik-Partnertrans-o-flex.com
5. 5Trans-o-flex Expresswikidata.org
6. 6Trans-o-flex Expressde.wikipedia.org